Life-preserver.



0. A. YOUNGREN.

LIFE FHESEHVER.

APPLICATION FILED HOV. I5) I915.

Patented Oct. 9,1917.

2 SHEET$-SHEET l O. A. YOUNGREN.

LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION mu) NOV. 15.19l5.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Warm

UNITED-sums PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR A. YOUNGBEN, OI SHERIDAN, WYQMING, ASSIGNOB NATIONAL LIFE PRE-'BEB-VEB COMPANY, OF SHERIDAN, WYOMING, A CORPORATION 01 WYOMING,

mn-rnnsnnvnn.

To alliwhom it may concern:

Be it known that LOsoan A. YOUNGRE-N, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sheridan, Sheridan county, and State of Wyoming, haveinvented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements inLife-Preservers, of which the following is a s ecification.

he present invention relates to life preserversand consists in thecombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andparticularly set forth in the accompanying claims.

The object of my said invention. is to provide a life preserver in theform of a waterroof suit adapted to completely inclose the ody of thewearer and to be put on over the clothing, and one which may be readilyadapted to float the wearer regardless of weight, and provide means forsustenance during a considerable period, all as will be hereinafter morefully described and claimed.

A further purpose of the invention is to equip the suit with a buoyantsubstance other than air, in compliance with the requirement, beforesanctioning, of the Steamboat Inspection Service of the Department ofCommerce; and to that end a suitable buoyant body is appropriatelyshaped and forms the lining for the garment The invention is pro osed asan improvement, or further deve opment, of the life reserver disclosedin my United States Tateht No. 1,123,058, of December 29, 1914.

The resent construction is disclosed by Way of illustration in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- V Figure 1 shows the manner of wearingthe suit and its exterior construction at the front,

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view thereof, with parts in elevation,

Fig. 2 illustrates the collar construction indetai1,,'

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the lin.e 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 a detail perspective view of a portion of the closure frameremoved from. the garment,

Fig. 5 an enlarged sectional view of the entrance closure frame inapplied position, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

be considerable.

that drawing in on the two straps 10 at the- Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Application fled November 15, 1915. Serial No. 81,614.

Fi 6 a detailed central sectional view of the oot inclosure.

Referring to the construction .in further detail, the suit or garment Ais constructed substantially as indicated in Fig. 1, being of one piece,and made'of water-proof material, such as rubber cloth, and comprisingarms, legs, and a body portion, the legs terminating in foot coverings l(see Fig. 6) to receive the feet of the wearer, and the arms in handcovering 2 to receive the hands of the wearer. The said foot coveringsare fitted with inner soles or plates 3, of lead or other suitablematerial, and outer linlugs, or reinforcing coverm s, 4, of twoplyrubberized material, who il inclose the foot portions 1. Adjustablebands, or strips, are provided around the ankles to retain the footcoverings upon the feet, and each consists of a part 5, having a ring 6that engages with'a snap hook 7, carried by a strap 8, after the mannerillustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 6.

The garment is adapted to be adjusted to the end that the suit may fitthe individual wearer, b means of a pair of tapes'or cords 10 see Figs.2 and 3), by which the body part of the garment is drawn down on thewearer and the suit, therefore, as a whole, shortened. It will beunderstood that when the garment is in actual use on the person, thebuoyant bod portion will always tend to move upward y on the body of thewearer, and if the suit be too large, this tendency to upward crowdingwould It will therefore be seen crotch will tend to draw the bod portionof the suit downward and give a etter fit.

The only opening in the suit is at the upper end, extending fromapproximately the top of the shoulders down and across the front in acurved direction. The body portion of the suit at this opening isattached to a metal frame comprising a smgle curved bar 11 that issecured to -the garment at the entrance opening by pipm or in any ot erapproved manner, and a duble and curved bar I? is in like manner securedto the swinging portion at the entrance'opening,

and 1s adapted to close down over the bar 11, bringing the same betweenthe members otthe bar 12 and thereby forming a com,-

pletely Water-tight seal, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The bar 12 isconstructed with hub portions 13 that are hingedly mounted on theprojecting end portions 14: of the bar 11 (see Fig. 4).

The frame is locked in closed position by means of a pair of clips 11*,secured to a rod 12 on the bar 11 (see Fig. 5), and said clips areadapted toengage with suitable hook members, 13, carried by the doublebar 12. No claim is made to this particular form of fastening betweenbars 11 and 12, inasmuch as various forms of locking devices may beemployed with satisfaction.

The frame construction 11 and 12 is shaped substantially as shown inFig. 1, to rest and fit comfortably upon the shoulders and chest of thewearer. The rear portion of the suit is in one piece, terminating in ayoke 15 that has a turtle neck 16 adapted to fit snugly about the neckof the wearer and prevent the entrance of any water into the garment.Said neck portions 15 and 16 are provided with a plurality ofnon-elastic strips 17 that serve to prevent endwise stretching of theneck portion when the same is being fitted over the head, but which willpermit of sufficient lateral stretching to allow of this fitting in aconvenient and ass manner.

he buoyant substance consists of kapoc, or other approved material,suitably contained in pads 18 and 19 of appropriate thickness, and disosed at the back, the sides, and front 0 the garment after the mannerclearly shownin Figs. 2 and 3. The buoyant lining is securely attachedto the inner surface of the garment, and tapes, or cords, 18 connect thelower portions thereof as shown in Fig. 2, and which, when engaging withthe wearer, will properly hold the garment in position. I

The front section of the buoyant body is divided alon the line of theframe bars 11 and 12 and t e upper portion 20 thereof'is formedcontinuous with the back portion 18. There is an opening 21 through thebod 20 in register with the neck portion, as wi 1 be understood. It maybe. desired to extend the buoyant lining for a distance within thesleeve portions 22, but this is not necessary,

. however.

A fresh water or other liquid containing receptacle 23 may be attachedto the garment by means of the pocket or strap 24, and a tube 25 leadstherefrom throughm loop 26'adjacent to the neck portion 15, .whe1:ebythe contents of the receptacle 23 ="'inay be taken by the wearer. Thehead covering accompanying the garment may be constructed after themanner of a hood, as

disclosed in my patent above referred to, or a separate head piece 27(see Fig. 1) may be provided, as preferred.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details ofconstruction and arrangement of 'parts without de arting from the spiritof the invention, an therefore I do not wish to be limited to suchfeatures except as may be required by the claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A life preserver comprising a one-piece suit of waterproof materialadapted to in close the body of the wearer from neck to feet and havingan entrance opening therein, a closure for said entrance comprising acurveddouble bar attached to the suit along one opening edge, a curvedsingle bar attached to the suit along the other opening edge and adaptedto engage with said double bar and form a water tight joint therewith,and means forholding a buoyant substance in the suit, substantially asset forth.

2. A life preserver comprising a one-piece suit of waterproof materialhaving leg ortions and adapted to inclose the body 0 the wearer fromneck to feet and having an entrance opening therein, means locatedwithin the garment for shortening or lengthening said garment above itswaist line to suit persons of different sizes, and means for holding abuoyant substance in the suit, substantially as set forth.

3. A life preserver comprising a one-piece suit of waterproof materialhaving leg ortions and adapted to inclose the body 0 the wearer fromneck to feet and having an entrance opening therein, a pair of strapslocated within and connected to the garment near the Waist line thereofadapted for shortening or lengthening the garment above its waist lineto suit ersons of different sizes, and means for ho ding a buoyantsubstance in the suit, substantially as set' forth.

4. A life preserver comprisln a one-piece suit of waterproof materlal aapted to inclose the body of the wearer from neck to feet and having anentrance opening there in, a closure for said opening comprisin a frameof horizontally hinged bars, an a buoyant lining for the suit comprisingsec tions secured thereto and divided along the gnilpf the hinged bars,substantially as set or V 5. A life preserver comprisin a. one-piecesuit of water-proof material a apted to inclose the body of the wearerfrom neck to feet and having an entrance opening there- 1n,'the neck onaging portion provided with non-elastic strips reventin stretching inthe lengthwise dlrection ut permitting stretching and contracting in thecrosswise direction, a closure for the entrance opening, and abuoyantlining suitably secured within the suit, substantially as setforth.

6. device of the character described comprising a pair of hinged parts,one of said arts adapted to hold a. flexible sheet in the f rm of a web,a projectin memberon one of said parts, and a lever pivoted on the otherpart adapted to engage with said member to close the web holding partagainst the other part and secure the same in locked relation,substantially as set forth.

7. A device of the character described comprising a single bar and a,double bar hingedly connected, a projecting member on one of said bars,and a lever pivotally mounted on the other bar, said lever constructedto engage with the projecting memher to close the single bar between themembers of the double bar and secure the same in locked relation,

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Washington,District of Columbia, this first day of November, A. D. nineteen hundredand fifteen.

OSCAR A. YOUNGREN. [1..s.] Witnesses:

H. H. Brmm, E. G. CLEMENTS.

substantially as set forth.

